L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Health
and Diseases of Indians

[This
text was originally published in 1907 by the Bureau of American Ethnology
as part of its Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico.
It was later reproduced, in 1913, by the Geographic Board of Canada.
The work done by the American Bureau was monumental, well informed and
incorporated the most advanced scholarship available at the time. In
many respects, the information is still useful today, although prudence
should be exercised and the reader should consult some of the contemporary
texts on the history and the anthropology of the North-West Indians
suggested in the bibliographic introduction to this section. The articles
were not completely devoid of the paternalism and the prejudices prevalent
at the time. While some of the terminology used would not pass the test
of our "politically correct" era, most terms have been left unchanged
by the editor. If a change in the original text has been effected it
will be found between brackets [.] The original work contained long
bibliographies that have not been reproduced for this web edition. For
the full citation, see the end of the text.]

There
is little evidence to show what diseases prevailed among the Indians
N. of Mexico prior to the advent of white people. The traditions
of the Indians, the existence among them of elaborate healing rites
of undoubtedly ancient origin, their plant-lore, in which curative properties
are attributed to many vegetal substances, and the presence among them
of a numerous class of professed healers, honoured, feared, and usually
well paid, would seem to indicate that diseases were not rare, but actual
knowledge and even tradition as to their nature are wanting The condition
of the skeletal remains, the testimony of early observers, and the present
state of some of the tribes in this regard, warrant the conclusion that
on the whole the Indian race was a comparatively healthy one. It was
probably spared at least some of the epidemics and diseases of the Old
World , such as smallpox and rachitis, while
other scourges, such as tuberculosis, syphilis (pre-Columbian), typhus,
cholera, scarlet fever, cancer, etc., were rare, if occurring at all.
Taking into consideration the warlike nature of many of the tribes and
the evidence presented by their bones (especially the skulls), injuries,
etc., particularly those received by offensive weapons, must have been
common, although fractures are less frequent than among white people.

At
the time of the discovery the Indians on the whole were probably slowly
increasing in numbers. Frequent wars, however, had a marked effect in
limiting this increase. Since their contact with whites most of the
tribes have gradually diminished in strength, while some of the smaller
tribes have disappeared entirely. Very few tribes have shown an increase
or even maintained their former numbers. The most remarkable example
of steady gain is the Navaho tribe. The causes of decrease were the
introduction of diseases (particularly smallpox), the spread of alcoholism,
syphilis, and especially tuberculosis, destructive wars with the whites,
and increased mortality due to changes in the habits of the people through
the encroachment of civilization. During recent years a slow augmentation
in population has been noticed among a number of tribes, and as more
attention is paid to the hygienic conditions of the Indians, an increase
comparable to that in whites may be expected in many sections. The least
hopeful conditions in this respect prevail among the Dakota and other
tribes of the colder northern regions, where pulmonary tuberculosis
and scrofula are very common.

While
preserving much of their robust constitution, the Indians - particularly
those of mixed blood - are at present subject to many disorders and
diseases known to the whites, although the pure bloods are still free
from most of the serious morbid conditions and tendencies due to defective
inheritance. They suffer little from insanity, idiocy, and rachitis.
Cretinism is exceedingly rare, and general paresis, with a large number
of serious nervous affections, has not yet been recorded among them.
Diseases of the heart, arteries, and veins, serious affection of the
liver and kidneys, as well as typhoid and scarlet fever are infrequent.
Congenital malformations are very rare, although it is commonly heard
among the Indians themselves that they do sometimes occur but that the
afflicted infants are not allowed to live. Fractures, and diseases of
the bones in general, as well as dental caries, are less frequent than
among the whites. There is considerable doubt whether cancer occurs
in any form. Venereal diseases, while predominant among the more degraded
Indians, are more or less effectually guarded against by others.

The
most common disorders of health now experienced among Indians generally
are those of the gastro-intestinal tract, which in infancy are due to
improper feeding and particularly to the universal consumption of raw,
unripe fruit and vegetables, and in later life to the lack of, or over
indulgence in, food, irregular meals, the preference for fat, crudely
prepared food, and, recently, the misuse of inferior baking powders
and excessive use of coffee. While most of the disorders thus introduced
are of a minor character, others, particularly in infants, are frequently
fatal. Other more common diseases are various forms of malaria, bronchitis,
pneumonia, pleurisy, and measles in the young. Whooping cough is also
met with. Inflammation of the conjunctivae is common and often leads
to ulceration, opacity, and defect in or even total loss of vision.
Defective hearing is occasionally found in the aged, and there are rare
instances of deaf mutes. Eczema, favus, and acnae are among the more
ordinary affections of the skin. Tuberculosis of the lungs, and glandular
tuberculosis, or scrofula, are frequent in many localities and are especially
common among the reservation Indians in the colder parts of the United
States , particularly in North
Dakota , South Dakota
, and Montana ,
due to their present mode of life. They live in small, unsanitary hovels,
which in cold weather are ill ventilated, and often overheated and crowded,
while their dress is heavier than formerly, their daily life less active,
their food changed, and, what is most important, there is complete ignorance
of the contagious nature of consumption. Some of these conditions, however,
are being gradually bettered.

Goitre
is widely distributed, though seldom prevalent; it is found particularly
among some bands of the Sioux, and it occurs also with some frequency
among the Menominee, Oneida ,
Crows, and White Mountain Apache. Albinism occurs among a number of
the tribes; the cases, however; are quite isolated, except among the
Hopi and, to a lesser degree, the Zuñi. In 1903 there were 12
cases of albinism in the former and 4 in the latter tribe, all of the
complete variety. Vitiligo is much more scattered but the cases are
few. Diseases and functional disturbances peculiar to women, including
those of the puerperium, are much less common among Indians than among
the white women of this country. Of diseases peculiar to
old age, senile arthritis, which affects partic­ularly the spine,
and occasional dementia, are found. Senility proceeds slowly in the
pure­blood Indian, and the number of individuals above 80 years
of age, according to census returns (which, however, should be regarded
with caution), is relatively greater than among the whites.

Source:
James WHITE, ed., Handbook of Indians of Canada,
Published as an Appendix to the Tenth Report of the Geographic Board
of Canada ,
Ottawa,
1913, 632p., pp. 195-197.